rinrinwonderland

Cornmeal Muffin Tops

2015-06-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last week while browsing at Superstore, I passed by the "clearance" section and noticed they had a bunch of baking utensils. What instantly caught my eye was commercial grade (heavy weight) muffin top trays for wait, what $2 each?? Sold!

As long as we're not talking about stomach fat, muffin tops are seriously the best part of the muffin. It's always the first part I devour, followed by the dreaded base part of the muffin which always ends up crumbling all over my clothes...no thanks.

Any ways, the trays also work great for cornmeal muffins perfect for pairing with a breakfast plate or BBQ platter.

Click in for the recipe!

Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10mins

Serves 24 mini muffin tops or 12 regular sized muffin tops

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg (large)

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup whole milk

½ cup sour cream

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. We don't really need to use a mixer here as we don't want to over mix the batter.

Mix in wet ingredients and gently mix with a whisk for a few rounds. Then switch to a spatula to fold in the batter until uniform throughout.

Careful as to not over mix the batter else gluten will form in the flour, and make it tough instead of light and tender.

Allow dough to cool in the fridge for 10 minutes and start set up oven to pre heat for 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

These are the awesome muffin top trays I picked up, but you could also use a flat baking sheet instead of these.

Lightly grease the trays and allocate the chilled batter into 12 even portions for regular-sized muffin tops, or 24 for mini bite sized muffin tops.

When ready, bake at 425 F for 8-10 minutes, just keep an eye on them as the temperature is quite high and we definitely wouldn't want them to burn.

Allow to sit on a wire rack to cool as the moisture formed from leaving them on the trays/ baking sheets can make the bottoms hard, and we definitely don't want that.

Happy Baking!

Breakfast on the Go at Fraser Park Restaruant

2015-06-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to this place by my fiance's foodie sister. I believe she came across Fraser Park Restaurant on the popular food network show: You Gotta Eat Here.

Located in a super industrial area of Burnaby, where their neighbours are literally major brand HQ's contractors and warehouses. If it weren't for their green banner, would definitely call this place a (literal) hidden gem.

click in for some amazing eats!

Let's start off with the exterior, unless you know exactly where you're going, you have a 99% chance of not stumbling upon this great all day breakfast joint. Also having access to a car lowers your chances of not finding the restaurant to 98% not the best percentages.

Let's head inside, the food will come soon!

A quick shot of their menu, it is also written on black boards that surrounds the interior of the restaurant. I ordered the Breakfast on the run sandwich $5.50.

Ironically, this will not likely be a place you can pop-in and out of when you're actually "on the run" as it can take a while for the food to get to you, especially during meal hours.

Ordered the full Beef dip $9.50 for Mr. fiance. The half order comes with 1 beef dip instead of two, but at $1.50 difference, why not get double the food :D

Decor is very simple and kind of nostalgic. Most of the seating is via communal tables so be prepared to share! Also there is no wait staff so it's upon you to find a seat either before you order, or shortly afterwards.

After you've made your order you are given a number plate which you can then go ahead and place on your table, and someone will actually bring your food to you.

The beef dip comes with a basic green salad (you can pick your dressing) and this super delicious gravy. It might look like its a lot of gravy, but trust me, you'll need it. It's delicious.

The buns were also soft and slightly toasted where the beef touches.

My "breakfast on the go" is a crazy drool worthy abomination that will likely clog your arteries but you won't care for that cause it just looked way too delicious. I even feel hungry just looking at this picture right now as I type away...

Let me break this down for you. We start off with cibatta buns nicely toasted on both sides, possibly with a panini press. It starts off with thick cut sausages, a delicious mayo dressing, pan fried eggs, a ham/ bacon mixture, and finally tomatoes and lettuce. It's almost like a BLT with sausages and eggs and to be honest, half a order can totally fill you up, especially if this is supposed to be your breakfast.

We eat a lot so of course we ended up clearing everything off the plates, plus this was a late lunch for us. Our table-neighbours seem to have gotten the deluxe German breakfast which literally looks like a plate of misc meats. Maybe I'll try that one next visit.

For anyone interested, check out the original You Gotta Eat Here episode featuring the Fraser Park Restaurant here: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/you-gotta-eat-here/video/season-1/saint-john-alehouse-philadelphia-kitchen-fraser-park-restaurant/video.html?v=64706627682#you-gotta-eat-here/video/season-1

The Cutest Sheep Butter Cookies

2015-05-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Catherine had a little lamb,

little lamb, little lamb,

Catherine had some little lambs,

and she ate them all ♪

Sometimes the cutest designs always end up taking way longer than expected, but it's always totally worth it! This is a simple sugar cookie recipe, but with the way it's laid out, it's sure to not be forgotten. Just make sure to give yourself some extra time as first you'll need to wait for the dough to set, and then painstakingly form the shapes of the sheep.

Click in for my recipe on how you can whip up a batch of spring-time butter cookies ♥︎

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup app purpose flour

Bake at 320 F for 15-18 minutes.

DIRECTIONS

For this recipe, you can either use a mixer or just do it by hand in a mixing bowl. I chose to do it by hand because I'm too lazy to take out the mixer for such a small batch haha.

Start off with unsalted butter at room temperature, or if you happen to have salted butter simply skip the pinch of salt.

Slowly add in sugar and cream together with the butter until well blended.

Separate the egg yolks and add it to the butter cream mixture.

Mix well. Do try to save the egg whites for another recipe or an omelette or something, would be a waste to just throw it out )=

Separate the mixture into two batches. One of 3/5 portion and a smaller of 2/5 portion. Add the teaspoon of cocoa powder to the 2/5 portion for colouring.

Make sure the cocoa is well blended. Then we will add 1 cup of flour to the 3/5 mixture portion and 1/2 cup flour to the 2/5 mixture.

Mix well until the dough forms into a ball.

Wrap in saran wrap and allow to sit in a fridge for half an hour to 1 hour before shaping.

Once the wait is up, line baking sheets with aluminum foil. We don't need to start preheating the oven yet just cause the sleep forms take a bit of time to finish.

Start by separating the dough into small balls. I find that 12-14 balls make the best "wool" base for the sheep. Use a contrast colour dough to make a tear-drop shape for the head, followed by more narrow tear-drop shapes for the ears and fore legs.

Just go ahead and plop on the head and legs on top of the "wool" base as shown below.

Just go ahead and plop on the head and legs on top of the "wool" base as shown. Continue making the sheep until you can use up all your dough. I ended up making some stars with the left over dough cause you know...I got ~~lazy~~ tired haha.

At this point we can start pre-heating the oven. It's not a very high temperature so it shouldn't take too long to heat up!

Take a tooth pick and start applying the faces to each sheep. Two dots for the eyes and a "Y" shape for the sheep's nose/ mouth looks the cutest in my opinion.

Here's a close up of this cutie <3 p="">

Now just go ahead and plop them into the oven on the middle rack when ready.

Ding Ding, cookies are done!!

Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack before eating. Be sure to take lots of pics to show them off to your friends too cause they're just so adorable!!

Lastly, be sure to enjoy them!

Nom nom nom, these guys are so buttery and crunchy I can eat a whole batch no problem.

P.S. They're also super fun to eat cause you can just pick away at them one ball at a time while watching TV or something, haha.

Be sure to link me to your pictures when you make up a batch too, I'd definitely love to see all your cute sheep babies ♥︎

Casa Verde Restaurant - a total hidden gem

2015-05-27T13:53:00.001-07:00

Rarely do I ever make it out to the Commercial-area unless its to pass by it on my regular sky-train route to down town but last week during a work expedition, we ended up in the area and discovered a total hidden gem!

Casa Verde Restaurant is a family run Portuguese restaurant with friendly staff and delicious foods. Their dishes are very well priced with great flavours. They also have a solid 88% feedback on Urban Spoon.

Click in to find out more!

Casa Verde is located on a commercial block surrounded by auto body shops and factories. There are also some smaller health food boutiques and fancy pet shops across the street, but unless you notice their green awning, you'll likely miss it.

On first look, we thought it was an Italian restaurant, or home style pizza/ pasta joint kind of place. They do have smaller tables available if you do like to sit outside on these kind of sunny days.

Once you step in, it literally feels like you've taken a trip to a mom n' pop restaurant straight in Eurpoe. Portugal to be exact. The green walls are decorated with vibrant green or white sports jerseys and towels. Not hard to tell who these guys are rooting for every world cup season!

No, it's not a Tardis, but this is also one of the places that looks much bigger on the inside!

We were greeted and seated by a friendly elderly couple, and they also let us know that every Sunday, they have freshly made BBQ rotisserie chicken available for dine in or take out. Would definitely love to come by and try it sometimes.

Here's a quick preview of their menu (if you can even read it lol). This was a week day lunch on a hot day, we we stuck to trying out some of the appies.

The bread was cold, but still crispy. Probably would've been good dipped in the soup we got but I forgot to try it like that. I just wished it would've have come with butter instead of margarine.

We had a bit of trouble deciding if we wanted the soup this time or not...it was supposed to be delicious but there was just so many other things we wanted to try on the menu...plus it was a hot day...but then again it was supposed to be very good. Sarah, our waitress was great in helping us decide, she suggested giving us smaller children's portions for a taste this time, but in the end she ended up treating us to (what I believe) the full portions of the soup.

Calsa Verde is a traditional kale and potato soup. Once it came we ended up boggling it down because it was indeed very good. Also very cheap and filling at just $3.50 a bowl.

Next dish was a traditional flaming sausage. It came in a super cute (just look at that tail!!) pig plate. The pictures do it no justice, but it was totally on fire!!

I would not be surprised if the sausage was made in house, it was nice and flavourful and not dry nor stiff. If I remember correctly the price for the sausage was around $9.50

Got a side salad too, just for the sake of some veggie intake. Sarah made us a half portion just because a full portion can feed around 4 adults.

Grilled squid, also priced around $9.50 I believe. Nice and tender, worked well with the lemon wedges.

Lastly we had the grilled import sardines. They were much bigger than what I imagined (think canned sardines). The skins were grilled to a nice and crispy char, and was great paired with lemon.

One down side to this is that the sardines are not dressed...meaning one careless bite you leave you with a bitter taste...Luckily I ate it carefully and didn't have my mouth assaulted by a sudden burst of bitter. If you separate the meat right, they fall off the bones very easily. They're flavoured pretty nicely, and nothing too sour like sardines you'd pick off on top of a pizza.

Actually, is that still a thing?? Do people still order sardines on pizza??

Any ways, definitely a nice dining experience at Casa Verde, and would definitely be be a place I'd bring friends to too! Just a funny moment we experience was during checkout, our waitress Sarah seemed to have stepped out a bit leaving her mother (?) an elderly lady who first seated us to man the restaurant. She wasn't able to do a credit transaction because she simply did not know how to work the interac machine. Normally this would be a huge inconvenience but because of how nice she was, we just found it very cute. But just in case, I would recommend having cash prepared as a back up!

Definitely would try to go back sometimes during the summer to catch their BBQ chicken on a weekend though.

$19.99 meal deal at Sushi Wind using Dealuse

2015-05-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is totally a first world problem but sometimes we just don't know what to eat... A habit I've picked up lately to counter that problem is to look at deal sites and see what's near us. It gives a good excuse to try out new places we'd other wise never know about, and sometimes the deals are super cheap and I love cheap eats.

This time, I turned to Dealuse.com .

Unlike Groupon or Social Shopper, the major drawback of Dealuse is that everything is entirely in Chinese... Loosely translated, the deal is for a $19.99 Japanese meal deal for two at Sushi Wind with a supposed original value of $45.

Click in to see how that went!

I think the location used to be called Sushi California, or something along the lines of that. It is a smaller family run joint with the husband as the sushi chef, and wife as server. Maybe the son is in the kitchen or something, but that's just me speculating.

Interiors are slightly on the dim side, but they do have pretty cute fenced areas decorated with (fake) flowers that offers a bit of privacy from the main dining area. We sat in the middle one!

Here's what the deal includes:

2 miso soups

4pc fresh sashimi

2 appetizers (hot or cold)

2 main (rice or noodles)

1 special sushi roll

Quite a lot of food for 2 people really, this became a huge lunch.

Miso soup was pretty good, not too bland and not too salty. You'd think its a hard item to screw up but I have been to places where they did a pretty good job of that...

Most surprising was the sashimi, it's supposed to come with 2 pc tuna, 2 pc salmon but being Japanese (at heart), I love tuna more. I kind of expected it to be just whatever, but it was actually more fresh and tasty than expected. Even better news, no stomach-ache after :D that's always a gamble I never shy from taking haha.

Gyozas were hand made, juicy and slightly on the peppery side...I think I liked them more cold than when it was served fresh and hot. But then again, I like to eat cold foods.

For the main, I picked Oyako-don, chicken + egg over rice and Mr.Fiance (Mr. Finance works too lol) picked Ten-don, tempura over rice.

I don't know how his tasted, but it came with 3 prawns and a bunch of other mystery veggies. It looked pretty good!

I always feel a slight joy with how gruesome the person that decided this will be called "Oyako-don" was actually. Oyako-don (親子丼) is literally parent + child, or maybe in this case mother + child on rice.

Take a minute to appreciate it how amazing that is.

Any ways on to the taste, the sauce and vermicelli tasted great with the rice, like usual the first handful of bites were delicious. However could've gone with a bit less sauce, by the time I made my way down the bowl my rice was super drenched and soggy. I would assume the chicken was previously frozen as some bites gave off somewhat of a freezer-burn taste.

Finally onto the roll, which ended up coming last...we actually ended up being super full at this point so didn't really eat much of this (we did pack it though).

We got the dragon roll, which was basically a california roll topped with unagi, tobiko and bonito. I swear I saw spicy salmon as a part of it on the menu, but there definitely wasn't any on our roll.

Overall it's a pretty decent place for quick Japanese, the service is friendly and original prices are pretty good too. Parking was quite limited as it's on the side of a small complex, but luckily there was free parking on the street just in front of it!

If the deal is still live when you are reading this, I think its worth going, especially for days you've absolute no idea what to eat!

http://www.dealuse.com/team.php?id=414

Quick + Easy Pita Crust Pizza

2015-05-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Greasy carry-out delivery pizza is great, but flabby stomachs and jiggly thighs suck.

Home made pizzas are healthy and delicious, but who actually has the time to wait for the dough to rise after a busy work day?!

Follow this method for a quick, easy and super healthy thin-crust pizza hack!

Instead of making the dough from scratch, simply substitute that with pocket-less pita bread, readily available at your local grocery store.

Start by laying out the pita on a pizza stone or cast iron pan, if not available you could also use a lined baking sheet. Also a good idea to start pre heating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by spreading a good layer of tomato paste on the pita. I usually prefer to use paste rather than sauce as it is thicker in consistency so it's less likely to make the crust soggy.

Gather the ingredients you'd like to use and chop them into smaller pieces/ small cubes. Pretty much anything you like can become a pizza topping, the ones shown above are just what I like to use: sausages, shredded mozzarella, zucchini and cilantro.

Mmm I love cilantro!

Generously apply your preferred toppings, covering up as much of the base as possible. As it is thin crust, make sure not to overload it to the point that the crust cannot support the toppings!

One tip I've picked up from my years of eating take-out/ delivery pizza is that cheese ALWAYS goes on last. This helps to prevent your other toppings from drying out or getting burnt, as well as helping to hold everything in place!

When ready, place into oven and cook on middle rack at 400 degrees F for 8-10 mins until cheese is nice and melty. Cool slight on a wire rack.

I like to serve my pizzas directly on a bamboo cutting board. It makes using a pizza roller much easier, plus it looks super pro!

Mmmm pizzaaaaaa *insert Homer donut face here*

Definitely do try it out and don't forget to let me know what you guys think too!!

Wonderful World of Eyelash Extensions

2015-05-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

c-c curl: 80 lashes per eye

Eyelash extensions are addictive, wonderful and somewhat expensive. But come on, who doesn't dream of glamorous fluttery lashes, and to be able to wake up looking perfect is totally worth it.

There's no shortage of products that promise for long luscious lashes, and I've definitely tried a good handful. From trimming lashes to "magical" growth serums to falsies, they just don't compare to the amazing feeling of getting proper eye lash extensions.

Read in for my crash course on eyelash extensions 101

before after with synthetic eyelash extensions. c-c curl: 80 lashes per eye

1. Let's start with the cost.

Keep in mind that you are paying for both the materials and time it takes for a professional to apply them properly. Cost can definitely be a factor in choosing where you'd like to have your lashes done, but definitely do make sure that it is a reputable place. Not to scare anyone away from "cheaper" salons but there are a good handful of lash extension horror stories...I'll share some pics later below.

Here are some different types of last extensions you could consider:

Synthetic - they are the most basic, and also least the expensive. The images I've posted are done with synthetics.

Silk - mid range, and are very popular as they provide the fullest overall look and the lashes are a very dark and rich black.

Mink - the most expensive and perfect for those who want more of a natural lash look in a softer black.

As for prices, it can range anywhere from $80 - $250 with refills required about every 2-3 weeks depending.

2. The procedure.

Eyelash extensions are applied to your natural lashes using a special adhesive. The technician would separate each individual lash so that the extension sits perfectly on top. It's quite a tedious procedure and thus why it takes so long when done properly. It is generally not a painful procedure (I usually end up sleeping through it) but it is possible to have negative reactions to the materials used. If you ever experience any burning, pain or discomfort, let your technician know immediately!

Just to be safe I would suggest not using eye make up prior to the appointment, and removing contact lenses during your session.

There's also a variety of lash types you can request for from curves, to thickness to length. I strongly suggest chatting with your technician a bit before starting to figure out what is the best for you. If you're completely at a loss about where to start, just leave it to them since they're the pros after all =)

3. Post-Procedure.

Now that hours have passed and you've woken up with amazing lashes, do check yourself out. I mean seriously look carefully and make sure you're happy with the application and how the lashes sit.

Congratulations, now you (your face) are now high-maintenance! Very very high-maintenance.

I should also mention that the lashes tend to fall the most in the first few days...so don't be surprised if you wake up one day and there's a good amount of single lashes on your face!

side view of c-c curls: 80 lashes each eye

The adhesive used generally lasts 6 weeks, greatly depending on how well you can take care of them. That'll mean saying good bye to waterproof mascara and oil based make up removers. Try not to rub the extensions, and when removing make up, use a Q-tip instead of a cotton pad.

Be gentle when washing your face. I have a Foreo cleanser so that really helps me reach around the eyes. When drying, gently dab with your towel - taking a mini blow dryer on gentle setting to your lashes is good too.

You may find that you no longer have a need for mascara, but if required, try to only apply it to the tips as the bristles may actually damage the adhesive bond. Applying mascara to the lower lashes is fine, but just be careful when you are removing it. I cannot stress enough the importance of q-tips and oil-free make up removers around the eyes.

To help your lashes last longer, try to sleep on your back! I'm the type to roll around in my sleep so I usually wake up with my lashes totally out of order!! The fix is easy though, just take a clean (disposable) mascara brush and comb through gently!

Hope this has helped, especially if you've been interested in getting some lash extensions for yourself! It seriously takes me no time getting ready to go out the door now cause I just end up skipping make up completely for my daily routine... though I still love to get dolled up for special occasions.

Finally, I don't prefer to post ugly images...but being the gruesome person I am, enjoy my mini compilation of fail eyelash extensions.

I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart none of your extensions end up looking like these terrifying images.

Appy Hour at the Flying Pig Gastown

2015-05-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Working in Vancouver down town means always being surrounded by great restaurants. Though we often do end up skipping lunch at the office, when lunch does happen, it's always delicious.

This time we decided to visit the Flying Pig again. The food and service is always great and on point, however this time we had quite an interesting experience (the bad kind) with the hostess. Although the overall visit was good, it would have been much better if the hostess wasn't so strict and uptight.

Click in for our appy hour experience + what kind of dishes you can expect!

I came arrived at the office on my birthday last Friday and was instantly surprised by a huge gift basket of Urban Fare goodies, thanks you! The pistachio crisps were delicious!!

Next surprise was that it was going to be a lunch day, yayy!!!

One of our regular go-to spots is Appy Hour at the Flying Pig in Gastown. Everyday from 4pm to 6pm you can enjoy a whole range of amazing plates for just $6 each! The dishes change from time to time too, you don't have to worry about having the same thing all the time.

We've been to the Flying Pig numerous times, many of those times during Appy Hour too, but have never had such a terrible experience with the hostess. I don't know if its a recent thing or something, but god she was horribly uptight and anal in regards to seating.

The thing with happy hour is that usually it only takes place at the lounge area, which is perfectly fine. There's four different sections one can choose to be seated at: the windows, the bar, tables or the communal table.

As we came in, we were immediately notified by the hostess that tables were immediately not the option as they only seat either parties of 2 or 4 and because we were only a party of 3 they could not have an open seat due to "maximum table occupancy" or whatever bs term she sprang on us.

Thus we were given the choice of windows, communal or bar. We picked the communal table, which probably seats 8 and was completely open at the time. Rather than allowing us to sit 2 on one side and 1 on the other side of the table, the hostess had the audacity to order 1 person to sit at the table's edge....like seriously wtf lady, who wants to sit somewhere where people constantly walk around, especially when the full table is empty.

No apologies whatsoever, only the reinforcement of the "maximum table occupancy" came in her increasingly stern voice. Defeated, we decided on a bar seat.

But here's the kicker, right when she seated us, another party of 3 got seated at a 4 seat table we were intermediately denied. Hostess didn't even acknowledge it, maybe "sorry" simply got replaced with "maximum table occupancy" in her word database.

I'm glad another more attentive server/ manager noticed the situation, and immediately came by with a very sincere apology (and a round of drinks as peace keeping). Thank you for acknowledging that, and letting us feel like we matter kind sir.

Any ways that was a lot of words, now onto the foods!!!

Salmon Cakes - $6

It actually came with 3 cakes, but one got devoured right upon arrival haha. They're crab cakes, crispy and creamy, but with salmon instead. Served with some kind of tartar sauce and topped off with a small piece of candied salmon.

Beef Carpaccio - $6

Seriously, this is six dollars?? Thinly sliced lightly seared beef topped with garlic cloves, arugula, capers and fresh shaved parmesan...I could totally eat this all day long.

Beet + Bresaola Salad $6 (back) and TFP Cured Meats Platter $6

For an extra $1 you can add a nice selection of cheeses to your meat platter as well. Not a fan of blue cheese myself, but the other cheeses are nice. You can expect proccuito, salami and bresaola served with olives and tiny pickles.

Steamed Clams $6

Seriously, how are they making money?!

Clams are cooked perfectly, drizzled in a white wine + herb reduction, and topped off with their classic pomme allumettes. The potatoes remind me of Hickory Sticks, I like to eat them piece by piece. I feel like I should point out that there is actually a very good portion of clams in this, not like just a tease of 3-5 pieces haha.

That's it for this visit, dinner was literally just a couple hours away any ways. Thank you Dave for the birthday treat!!

If you guys can time your visit during happy hour, do it!! I just hope no one will have to encounter the hostess from hell like we did, or you know...just come in parties of even numbers!

Fisherman's Catch at the Fish Shack

2015-05-11T12:11:00.003-07:00

We decided to try out the Fisherman's Catch at the Fish Shack by the Glowbal group last Friday. I love seafood, and would recommend for those that are a fan of seafood boils to definitely give them a visit!

Unlike all the other restaurants by the almighty Glowbal Group, I like how the Fish Shack is so inviting and so comfortable - and totally not fancy-fussy.

Old stock crates are the main decor, which actually looks quite amazing on the walls and especially the ceiling on that 2F loft area.

It may not look like it from my pictures, but there are big screen TV's all over the place and would likely make the Fish Shack one of the better game night destinations. There is literally more than 1 TV for you to watch regardless of where you are seated.

Both my fiance and I ended up having super late lunches, so we ended up skipping appies and went directly into the main point of our visit: The Fisherman's Catch.

We were given wood chopping blocks, lots of napkins and a plastic bib with a lobster on it to tackle on the catch. Although they make great props for photos, you will actually need it so don't be "too cool" to wear it!

He came in a merino wool sweater, so the bib totally saved his (sweater's) life!

It was also fun to see other diner's taking trips to the washroom proudly wearing their own seafood-splattered plastic bibs.

HERE COMES THE FOOD!!!

There are 2 different versions of the Fisherman's Catch and both requires a 2 order minimum. One is at $23/ person which comes with dungeness crab legs, snow crab legs, mussels, clams, chorizo, sweet corn and potatoes.

Then there is the Bigger Fisherman's Catch (shown above) which is priced at $33/ person and comes with a full lobster, and even more stuff of what comes in the $23version.

It comes to your table in a net, like the waitress just caught it from the cooking pots, and opened up and mixed with a cup of butter and seasoning right at your table.

The pictures kind of stop here as we're way too busy digging in, and its definitely requires the use of both hands (and lots of napkins). The seafood is super fresh and seasoned so perfectly that you can still taste the mild sweetness from the seafood. Everything is cooked perfectly and drenched in butter. Mmm butter, butter tastes great with everything.

The only cons to this dish is that the seafood is hard and prickly so your fingers start hurting after tackling the shellfish after a while. It is also tiring to have to peel your food before eating each bite, but those are totally first world problems haha.

Post-meal came with a delicious surprise <3 p="">

Apparently it was a thing with the Glowbal group regarding cake cuttings...but thank you hunny for setting it up, and thank you to the awesome servers for helping with the surprise!

I didn't realize at the table due to the surprise and slight embarrassment from being sang to at the table (our neighbours next table joined in too, haha) but the cake is actually a bunny cake with pink ombre at the sides!!

How cute!

Here's to another year filled with lots of good eats <3 p="">

Char Siu BBQ Pork

2015-05-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Char Siu (Chinese) or Chasu (Japanese) is pretty much the same thing, made from the same cuts of pork with the only difference being the ingredients used in the marinade. Since I go both ways, I've mixed up the Chinese and Japanese ingredients for my own take on the delicious "halfie" char siu.

I love Char Siu as it's so yummy and super convenient. I was intimidated by the idea of cooking it myself at first, but turns out its much easier than I expected!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of fresh boneless pork

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup honey

3 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (optional)

Directions:

Let's start by preparing the pork, make sure you do get it fresh and boneless. In English, the cut is called "pork butt"...I have no idea which butt it's referring to but to Chinese readers, its straight up called "Char Siu Meat".

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan as you do need to heat it up for a while, I'm doing it in a glass bowl because it's prettier for pictures. Notice that glass jar to the right of the bowl, that's what Chinese five-spice powder looks like, you can choose to skip it if you'd like.

The cornstarch in the marinade helps with keeping the pork moist and juicy.

I'm from Beijing and we like our foods flavourful so its always a must-have when dealing with meats for me. I'm not 100% sure how to describe what it does to the flavour, or if there is even an English word to explain it...but it makes it very savoury and aromatic in a very good way.

Using medium-low heat; cook and stir the marinade for 2-3 mins until just combined and slightly warm.

Wow...this photo filter just does not work with this image, sorry it looks kind of gross and purple-y here but I promise you its the same chunk of pork from the first image.

Go ahead and split that into about three even-sized portions.

Once the marinade has cooled, put the pork in and make sure its well coated throughout. A large Ziploc bag also works well for the marinating portion, but again, I've stuck with the glass bowl cause it's less messy and looks better in pictures.

Marinate pork in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours before cooking, I prefer leaving mine to sit over night for more taste.

If you guys don't have a convection/ Halogen oven yet, I STRONGLY recommend one. It's small and portable, highly convenient, and could even fit a medium sized turkey if needed. Best of all, it's definitely magical as it cooks everything to perfection, and doesn't even dry out chicken breast!

Meet my sous-chef Karat, he likes to think he's helping =)

Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, and turned it up to 350 for the last 5 minutes just to get a better char on the outside.

You could also cook it on a preheated grill for about 45 minutes turning frequently until cooked through - a meat thermometer can be inserted and the core temperature should be at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mmm meat =)

Chinese people like to slice it thicker

and Japanese people like to slice it thinner, but really the choice is all up to you!

To keep up with the "Halfie" theme, check out my dinner served with Japanese style eggs and ramen, Chinese thick cut char siu and spicy bamboo shoots.

I'm totally ready to eat, いただきます～♪

Turtle-Shaped Melon Bread

2015-04-30T15:12:00.008-07:00

I remember the last time I was in Japan for vacation, there was a small bakery near our hotel that would always sell different buns in the shapes of different animals.

Although I don't recall turtle buns being on the menu there, these guys are almost too cute to eat...almost.

This recipe makes 8 adorable turtles for you to nom on.

SHELL

3/4 cup cake flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup butter

1 egg (medium)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp matcha powder or few drops green food colouring

few drops melon oil (optional)

BODY

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp shortening

1 egg yolk (save whites for brushing)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup water

Bake at 350 F for 13-15mins, just be careful as these babies tend to burn easily.

DIRECTIONS

Let's make the shell first. Mmm look at all that soft, delicious butter...

Cream the softened, room-temp butter with some sugar in a mixing bowl. When uniform, add 1 beaten egg a little at a time.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and sift into the butter cream mixture. Add the melon oil and matcha or food colouring and fold in gently with a spatula until the dough forms a ball.

I used food colouring this time simply because I didn't have any matcha powder at home, but would definitely recommend it as a healthy alternative to food colouring haha.

Split the dough into 8 equal parts (yes, I know image shows 15, I made extras haha) and shape them into balls. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for 1 hour in the fridge.

Now let's work on the dough for the body. Add the yeast, sugar, warm (warm, not hot) water into the mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until bubbles start to form.

Next, add in the shortening, egg yolk, sour cream in the in the rest of the dry ingredients, egg, and shortening. Sift in the bread flour and baking powder, followed by salt.

I usually like to poke a hole into the flour mound for the salt as I was told that salt does not mix well with the rising effects of the yeast and should be separated as much as possible.

Using a dough hook, knead for 15 minutes and keep in a warm space to rice for an hour.

When proved, split the dough ball into 8 equal parts. Split each ball into a body, head, 4 legs and a tiny tail.

Now would be a good time to take out the shell-balls from the fridge and let it soften a little.

Use the left over egg white as a glue for the appendages, otherwise you might risk them falling off when baking!

Once formed allow the naked turtles to rest for 10 minutes.

While we wait, we can work on the shells. Flatten each ball out with the palm of your hands between 2 sheets of saran wrap. Use a rolling pin to gently form a circle roughly the same size as the turtle bodies. Use a scraper to score in some lines to create the turtle shell pattern - careful not to cut in the lines too deep otherwise your shells would break open while baking!

Using the remaining egg white, glaze over entire turtle and gently apply shells into place. Cover loosely with saran wrap and let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

When ready, bake for 13-15 minutes in an over preheated to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Allow these cuties to cool on a wire rack to prevent moisture from forming below and making their turtle bellies hard.

Give yourself a nice pat on the back, you've made a batch of deliciously cute turtle buns.

Now go show them off to your friends!

Soft and fluffy on the inside too!

This poor little guy met with the ill fate of having his limbs ripped off first and devoured by a ferocious giant.

Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial, until next time!